The young contenders

The highlight of New Designers Part One, at least from the students’ viewpoint, must have been the Thursday night bash hosted by Design Week, when 6 000 bottles of Cobra Beer were swiftly consumed within fifteen minutes of the bar opening. We can only assume they were calming their nerves having played host to Donna Karan all afternoon.

New Designers Part Two, which starts today, promises to be a little more focused. Showcasing work from 50 colleges across the country, it will cover disciplines including ceramics, glass, jewellery and metalwork, furniture, interior, product and industrial design. As with Part One, there will be 13 awards offering various incentives and a total of 16 200 prize money.

Sizeable displays are promised by Buckinghamshire College (ceramics, furniture, glass, interior design and silversmithing, jewellery and metalwork), Nottingham Trent University (furniture, interior and product design) and Middlesex University (ceramics, furniture, glass, interior design and jewellery). But don’t overlook the specialist displays of furniture from Parnham College and architectural glass from the University of Sunderland.

Meanwhile, tucked away in the corner of the gallery level is One Year On, organised by New Designers in Business and featuring work by 24 individuals who have recently set up in business. A diverse collection of furniture, lighting, ceramics, glass and jewellery will be on show, much of which will be for sale. So don’t forget your cheque books.

New Designers Part Two runs from 17-20 July at the Business Design Centre, Upper Street, Islington, London N1.